Sims Wyeth founded Sims Wyeth & Company, Inc. in 1995 in order to give accomplished people the knowledge and skill they need to become accomplished speakers.
Speech Training: How to Give a Speech of Introduction
October 16th, 20091. Get the proper information from the person you will introduce
2. Extract the information from the resume and write a short speech of introduction. Do not READ the resume.
3. Show the speech to the speaker for editing and approval
4. Structure the speech of introduction in this way.
- Why this topic?
- Why this topic before this audience?
- Why this topic before this audience at this time?
- Why this topic before this audience at this time by this speaker?
5. That’s when you supply a few TELLING details about the speaker that give him or her the credibility to speak on the topic.
6. You can be forgiven if you bring notes and read the information about the speaker, although it would be good if you could do the first three bullets points (above) without reading.
7. Pronounce the speaker’s name properly. If you’re not sure, ask.
8. Do not end by saying, “Ladies and Gentlemen, please join me in welcoming Sam White to the podium,” (at which point Sam rises to his feet), “a man who not only is an expert on horticulture, but also knows a thing or two about marketing in the garment business,” (Sam hesitates at the edge of the stage), “and also has an eight handicap. Why, I remember the time Sam hit a hole in one over at Silver Lake,” (Sam sits down), “He was hitting a 5-iron off the 10th tee…” (Sam waits patiently for you to stop, while the audience suspects that you would rather be the speaker and are jealous of the attention that Sam will be getting.)
9. In other words, begin, be brief, be seated, and end your speech of introduction by saying the speaker’s name loud and clear.
Wait for him to arrive at the lectern. Shake his hand. Smile. Then go and sit down.
Sims Wyeth is a private speech coach in Montclair, NJ specializing in executive speech coaching and public speaking training in order to give accomplished people the knowledge and skill they need to become accomplished speakers. Learn more public speaking tips at www.SimsWyeth.com.
Hamlet is a Speech Coach
October 12th, 2009Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark in Shakespeare’s play called Hamlet, written around 1603. He hires a bunc
h of actors to put on a play that he’s written, and he gives them coaching on how to speak their lines.
Four-hundred and six years later, what he says remains good advice for presenters too.
So here’s what happening in the scene. After he’s told them not to wave their arms around too much, he tells them to loosen up, but also make sure that their gestures relate to what they’re saying.
“Be not too tame neither, but let your own discretion be your
tutor. Suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with this
special observance, that you o’erstep not the modesty of nature”
To be most effective, and to look natural, gestures should come before the key word you’re emphasizing, or in the middle of the word.
Jimmy Carter had trouble with this on one occasion. He was speaking from the Oval Office to the American people, saying that the economy was “heading up.” Only after he finished the phrase did he move his arm to point skyward. It looked as if his mind was not connected to his body. Or that he had rehearsed a gesture, but forgot to do it, and tacked it on at the end when he remembered.
Finally, Hamlet says to his actors, “Don’t overstep modesty,” or words to that effect. What does that mean?
It means that when in front of an audience it’s best to express passion artfully with your voice, rather than with large, emphatic gestures.
President Obama is highly effective at this. He communicates passion with his voice, even though his body is relaxed and still. The combination communicates power and control.
To read more about Hamlet as a speech coach, go to executivespeechcoachnj.com.
Sims Wyeth is a private speech coach in Montclair, NJ specializing in executive speech coaching and public speaking training in order to give accomplished people the knowledge and skill they need to become accomplished speakers. Learn more public speaking tips at www.SimsWyeth.com.
What’s the Difference between a Speech and a Presentation?
July 14th, 2009
Asked to describe a speech, I think most of us would say, “It’s a guy standing at a lectern on a stage reading from notes, a script, or a teleprompter.”
Asked to describe a presentation, we would say, “It’s somebody standing in front of a room with a screen behind her, where she’s showing visuals to explain something to the audience.”
So what’s the difference?
First, the similarities are pretty obvious. Both involve one person talking to a group of people. The people listening are sitting down, facing the speaker, and passively listening. The person speaking is working hard to say something to the listeners, and has probably worked hard to prepare her thoughts and materials.
The first difference is that we don’t see visuals in a speech. The speaker strives to paint a picture in the mind of the audience, but he’s doing it with words, not with images on a screen.
The next difference is the degree of formality. Speeches are more formal than presentations. They date back to 500 BCE and maybe even further, beyond our historical record. Great speeches have rocked the world. They are about (or should be) about big ideas, values, and concerns.
Presentations are more informal than speeches. We associate them with more technical, mundane circumstances. They have their roots in education, the military, and the practical trades, such as building and engineering. They tend to be about facts and figures.
Speeches are given to larger crowds, and therefore must to appeal to the emotions. The larger the crowd, the less complex the material should be.
Presentations are generally given to smaller groups, and therefore can be more detail-oriented. The smaller group should always be given a chance to discuss the material, ask questions, and engage with the speaker. This is not possible when thousands are listening to a speech.
Speeches are made in suits and tuxedos, presentations in shirtsleeves and slacks. Speeches require broad vision, whereas presentations often require a deep, narrow focus.
Speeches can be made to persuade or entertain, but not to inform. Presentations can do all three — inform, persuade, and entertain. Occasionally, someone gives a presentation that accomplishes all those goals simultaneously.
Just because you’re good at one, it doesn’t mean you’re good at the other. Speechmaking is a different muscle, requiring development. Likewise the informality and accessiblity of presenting can be hard for those accustomed to the lectern and the teleprompter.
CEOs and thought leaders give speeches. Managers and technical experts give presentations. Of course this is an oversimplification, but it evokes the distinction I’m making.
Someone once said ( I forget who) that the only reason to give a speech is to change the world. That’s a tall order, requiring the speaker to ratchet up her degreee of intention.
Presentations require clear thinking and organization, but do not often demand that the speaker light the world on fire–just throw a little light on the subject at hand.